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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. wound — an injury
  3. root — the cause
  4. face — to point toward
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. face — part of the head
  9. board — a committee
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. present — the time now
  12. bulb — for light
  13. board — to get on
  14. chest — a box
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. face — to confront
  17. wound — an injury
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a word
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — there
  24. chest — of your body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com